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Languages Canada Accreditation

ISO Standards

ISO 9001, 14001, 17100, 13611, 18587, 45001, 13485

ISO (International Organization for Standardization) develops standards in a wide range of industries, and its standards are observed by businesses around the world, with member organizations in 162 countries. These standards allow for greater consistency and quality in each industry, providing consumers with better products and services while holding businesses accountable for safety, environmental concerns, and efficiency.

This consistency also creates a more level playing field for international trade, and allows industries to share their innovations and best practices, across borders. For individual companies, ISO standards certifications are based on the principles of Plan/Do/Check/Act.

The Orion Difference

We consolidate audits to save time, cost and disruption.

At Orion, we’ve established a process that allows us to combine standard audits – saving you money and time while adding long-term value to your company’s reputation.

9001: Quality Management System Standards

This international standard applies to any organization that produces a product or delivers a service. ISO 9001 certified organizations are required to continually improve performance and customer satisfaction, while addressing a number of requirements, including consumer needs and industry regulations. This is achieved through applying a consistent framework to all processes to create a dependable result for all of the organization’s customers.

14001: Environment Management System Standard

Organizations that wish to demonstrate their commitment to an environmental management system must be accredited with the ISO 14001 standard. This standard requires the organization to identify the aspects and impacts of its activities on the environment, establish priorities, and eliminate or control or the significant issues. Management controls must be in place to review and take action as necessary to ensure the program commitments are being adhered to, and to verify the organization’s efforts to continually improve its performance as related to environmental concerns.

13611: Translation Services – Guidelines For Community Interpreting

Community interpreting plays an invaluable role in our society, enabling people who have limited proficiency in a community’s given language greater access to the community’s services. Community interpreting occurs in a variety of settings including public institutions (schools, universities, community centres, etc.); human and social services (refugee boards, self-help centres, etc.); healthcare institutions (hospitals, nursing homes, etc.); legal settings (police stations, courts, prisons, etc.); and more.

The ISO 13611 standard establishes clear criteria and recommendations for interpreting service providers (ISPs) regarding bi-directional interpreting activities during oral and signed communication. It also provides guidance for the provision of community interpreting services, and establishes the principles and practices necessary to ensure needs are met for all language communities – for end users, requesters and service providers. Like the NSGCIS standard, the objective is to ensure that interpreters are fully competent in the services they provide, and maintain a professional, neutral and factual role when providing their services.

The standard is comprised of the following main sections:

Terms and definitions – Outlines the concepts related to interpreting activities, interpreted events, people or organizations involved, language competences and defines translation as differentiated from interpreting.

Principles of community interpreting – Includes the nature of community interpreting, work involved, end users, ISPs, code of ethics and standards of practice.

Interpreter competences and qualifications – Outlines general skills and competences, research skills, interpersonal skills and evidence of qualifications.

Responsibilities of ISPs & community interpreters – Covers individual roles and responsibilities to the client, as well as each other.

ISO 45001: Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems

Published in March 2018, the ISO 45001 standard outlines an Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) management system that enables organizations to provide safe and healthy workplaces, prevent work-related injuries and continually improve their OH&S performance.

While ISO 45001 is not legally binding, organizations that achieve certification show they take the health and wellbeing of their employees seriously, enhancing their corporate image and making them more attractive in a competitive employee-recruitment environment.

When an organization implements an OH&S management system that conforms to the ISO 45001 standard, they can effectively manage their OH&S risks while fulfilling certain legal requirements.

The standard is comprised of the following main sections:

Context of the organization – Covers how to understand the context of the organization, the needs and expectations of workers, and determining the scope and processes required to establish the OH&S management system.

Leadership and worker participation – Outlines the leadership and worker responsibilities in developing an effective OH&S management system including organizational roles, responsibilities and authorities; and the consultation and participation of workers.

Planning – Explores the actions needed to address risks and opportunities, hazard identification and assessment of risks, determination of legal requirements, and the planning required to achieve OH&S objectives.

Operation – How to plan, implement, control and maintain the processes needed to meet the OH&S management system requirements. Includes eliminating hazards and reducing risks, the implementation and control of planned changes, procurement systems, use of contractors, and emergency preparedness and response.

Performance evaluation – Covers the monitoring, measurement, analysis and evaluation of the OH&S management system including evaluation of compliance through internal audits and management review.

Improvement – Understanding there are always ways to get better, the standard also outlines strategies for organizations to identify opportunities for improvement and implementing necessary actions.

At Orion Assessment Services, we recognize that every organization is unique. The interpretation and enactment of ISO 45001 will vary according to industry, company size and pre-existing OH&S management systems. Trust us to help you manage the complexity of the requirements, and provide you with the systems and intelligence you need. Our goal is to help you not just achieve certification, but develop practical and safe processes that take your employees’ long-term wellbeing to heart.

13485: Medical Devices Standard

This standard represents the requirements for a comprehensive management system within the design and manufacture of medical devices. This standard is somewhat unique in that some of its requirements separate it from the main ISO 9001 quality management standard, so many organizations that are ISO 13485 compliant are not able to also be ISO 9001 compliant. Some of these unique considerations include the need to ensure that all medical devices are sterile, the ability to track and inspect devices that are implanted in patients, and the management of risk during product development.